Smallpox Epidemics

Smallpox Epidemics
Lexi Gagne
April 17, 2013
Dr. Stinson

The smallpox disease was a significant life threatening disease that lasted for centuries. Changing the world countries at a time, smallpox is one of the top deadliest diseases known to man. It is estimated that it began when humans started gathering in communities and traveling around six thousand years ago (Geddes 152). Until around 30 years ago, people were still living in fear of this awful disease (Geddes 157). Knowledge of the smallpox disease, the worldwide spread, variolation and Edward Jenner, complications of the final smallpox epidemic in Boston, Massachusetts, and the most recent smallpox incidents, assist in understanding the worldwide
epidemic.
Smallpox is an infectious disease, meaning it is spread through specific kinds of contact. In this case pox are spread through the respiratory tract, which involves the function of human breathing. Therefore the mouth, nose, lungs, and throat are all linked to the airborne spreading route for the virus. Two types of the variola virus trigger smallpox; variola major and variola minor. Variola major, is the most common extreme case of smallpox and it is exceptionally more life threatening with a thirty percent mortality rate, compared to variola minor that has a mortality rate of less than one percent. Variola minor is a more mild case of smallpox that is caused by a less brutal form of the virus. Initially, smallpox appears to be a rash but later forms into blisters that occur in the mouth, throat, and all over the skin (Geddes 152).
The first smallpox origins are unsure (Sherman 53).
There are not reliable sources for credible accounts of history until the Egyptian mummy age. Mummies have been found to have possible scars related to smallpox. It is estimated that the virus was transferred to India by water or land from ancient Egyptian merchants. The next country infected by these southwestern countries was China in 1122 BC. In the sixth century Japan was infected by China. During the fifth and seventh centuries, as Europe’s population increased, along with the movement of the population, they too acquired the pox virus. The Caribbean was infected when the European settlers began exploration and colonization and the Spanish army entered. Spanish armies passed the virus to Peru and Brazil. European settlers and explorers along the east coast, infecting the Native Americans, also infected North America. Mexico was infected from the passing of the disease throughout the Indians and other travelers. Obvious interpretation tells one that most countries worldwide were infected with the crucial life threatening smallpox virus. By the eighteenth century everywhere in the world was infected, except Australia. In the nineteenth century variola minor appeared in the Americas as well as South Africa (Geddes
153).
Survivors of smallpox were immune to the disease; therefore they were called to help take care of the sick to prevent others from infection. For centuries humans tried to discover a cure, but struggled immensely. In the early medieval times doctors used herbal treatments, cold treatments, and special clothes to prevent or treat the pox. Dr. Sydenham, who lived during the mid sixteen hundreds, treated his patients by not allowing fire in the room, keeping all windows open, only allowed sheets and blankets to the waist, and required twelve small beers every twenty-four hours. Inoculation was introduced, which was inserting material infected with the disease into most often an arm or a leg in hopes of lowering the level of immunity. Inoculation is predicted that it was practiced in Africa, India, and China before the eighteenth century where it was introduced to Europe, renamed variolation, and grew more popular amongst the wealthy royal people (Riedel). English physicians initially did not like the idea of variolation. Royal figures popularized the procedure by demand. After the realization of the benefits of variolation the procedure gained positive recognition and spread throughout the world (Glynn 143). Only three percent of the variolated populated died. As people found out more about the procedure demand became common (Riedel).
Edward Jenner was an English a doctor from Gloucestershire, England, started taking interest in the virus. At a young age he had a strong interest for science. At age thirteen he worked alongside of a surgeon and an apothecary. Working around that environment Jenner gained lots of knowledge and experience. Growing up he studied numerous subjects such as, geology, biology, medicine, natural sciences, and played the violin. Interested in cowpox, in 1796 he began his studies of fighting smallpox. Jenner heard how cowpox protected dairymaids from smallpox. After testing the proposition, he concluded it to be true along with figuring out that cowpox could also be transmitted purposely. Jenner’s tests lead him to perform an experiment on an eight-year-old boy by infecting him with cowpox from an infected dairymaid. After being infected and recovering from cowpox, the boy was then infected with smallpox. The boy acquired nothing; therefore Jenner concluded his method was successful. He named his procedure, “vaccination.” By 1800, the use of vaccination was well known in most European countries. Thomas Jefferson supported the procedure and set up the National Vaccine Institute that’s purpose was to provide a national vaccination program in the United States. Jenner made a lot of money and fame from his famous vaccination but was never a conceited guy. He built a small hut in his backyard where he provided his procedure too poor people for free. Vaccination over time replaced variolation, which was eventually banned in England in 1840 (Riedel).
The last outbreak of smallpox is known as the final epidemic. It took place in Boston, Massachusetts during 1901-1903 (Albert 1). Most smallpox outbreaks in the twentieth century were caused from the more mild form; variola minor. However, in this Boston epidemic the majority of the cases were caused from the variola major virus (Liewehr 1). The issues with vaccination caused vast amounts of controversy and deaths (Albert 1).
Of the one thousand five hundred and ninety six cases of smallpox that were recorded in 1901-1903, there were two hundred and seventy deaths. People who acquired smallpox were taken to exclusive amenities by control of the Boston Board of Health in attempt to stop the spread of the virus. A hospital on Southampton Street was the main place smallpox patients were taken (Albert 1). Patient population grew and the hospital was forced to expand into another quarantine building on Gallop’s Island, in the Boston Harbor, where men were sent, while women remained in the original hospital. Dr. Samuel Holmes Durgin, chairman of the Boston Board of Health, held a program that provided the process of disinfection, vaccination, revaccination, and surveillance for two weeks, for individuals who were exposed or in contact with a patient (Liewehr 2).
Voluntary vaccination programs were started. Physicians traveled to businesses to vaccinate employees and free vaccination stations were set up. The problem that arose was there were no standards of the production and quality in the vaccine. The Board of Health required men living in shelters in November, 1901 to be vaccinated by virus squads because the homeless were accused of spreading smallpox. In December of 1901, over four hundred thousand Bostonians were vaccinated, but the epidemic continued to spread. The Board of Health ordered all citizens of Boston who were not previously vaccinated since January 1, 1897 to be revaccinated or vaccinated. A house-to-house vaccination system was instructed in January, 1902. Any citizen who refused vaccination was ordered a five-dollar fine or a fifteen-day jail sentence. It was claimed by an editorial in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal that some manufactures performed “unscrupulous methods” of production and advertising (Albert 2). By July 1902, legislation began to control the production and sales of vaccines (Albert 2).
Opponents against the law of required vaccinations claimed givers of the vaccination acted with absolute authority and attacked persons against their will. Opposing persons of vaccinations doubted the safety and efficiency of the process. It was believed that forcible vaccination was breaking individuals civil rights. In January, 1902 legislation was trialed to revoke the Massachusetts compulsory-vaccination laws. The people of pro-vaccination triumphed the anti-vaccinationist (Albert 2).
An experiment proposition by Dr.
Durgin in November, 1901 was given to the leading adult anti-vaccinationists to allow people to show sincerity in their beliefs of faith by undergoing exposure to smallpox without vaccination. Dr. Immanuel Pfieffer, a Danish immigrant who was not vaccinated since infancy, took the offer. After interacting with one hundred patients and smelling their breathes at the Gallop smallpox hospital on January 23, 1902 he was found significantly ill in his home on February 8, 1901. Dr. Durgin proved his theories and made headlines reflecting his successful experiment (Albert 3).
The epidemic ended in March, 1903. From the time of the closure of the epidemic until the last case occurrence for a significant amount of time in October 1932, there were only one hundred and eight cases of smallpox with 4 deaths. Controversy of compulsory vaccination still continued in courts with no alterations (Albert
3).
Major smallpox still existed in the 1970’s, in Brazil, Indonesia and in the Indian subcontinent. In 1971 a case was diagnosed in Brazil, and in 1972 a case occurred in Indonesia. Major Smallpox was eradicated in 1973 in the Indian subcontinent despite the fact that minor variola persisted in the Horn of Africa. Major smallpox continued on the Indian subcontinent; the virus was destroyed from Pakistan in October of 1974, and in February 1975, it was destroyed in India as well. Variola minor last occurred in the Horn of Africa in 1977 but is now eradicated (Geddes 155). The most recent case of Smallpox was in August 1978 in Birmingham, England. Her name was Janet Parker, a student photographer that attended the Medical School of the University of Birmingham. The student worked in the virology laboratory, which contained the classic major smallpox virus. Her mother also acquired the virus and they both passed away. On May 8, 1980 the announcement from the 33rd World Health Assembly, stated that global smallpox eradication had been achieved (Geddes 156).
American natural disasters and global events relate with the example of smallpox. Smallpox was a global event; as well as an American natural disaster. The smallpox virus was mostly brought into the United States from European Settlers and explorers. The disease’s origins are from Egypt and Africa but once the virus began spreading, all countries were affected the same ways. Smallpox killed destructively worldwide, no matter race, wealth, or gender. The United States had to involve government laws to protect its citizens, just as Europe did. Therefore there are relations amongst this event because of the outcome produced worldwide. The world still worries about the killer virus today even though it is eradicated, because of its terrible repercussions.

Works Cited Albert, Michael R., Kristen G. Ostheimer, David J. Liewehr, Seth M. Steinberg, and Joel G. Breman. "Smallpox Manifestations and Survival during the Boston Epidemic of 1901 to 1903. (2002): n. pag. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
Albert, Michael R., Kristen G. Ostheimer, and Joel G. Breman. "The Last Smallpox Epidemic in Boston and the Vaccination Controversy, 1901-1903. (2001): n. pag. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
Geddes, Alasdair M. "The History of Smallpox." Elsevier. (2006): n. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Glynn, Ian, and Jenifer Glynn. The Life and Death of Smallpox. New York, NY: Cambridge Univ., 2004. Print.
Riedel, Stefan. "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." NCBI. (2005): n. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Sherman, Irwin W. "Smallpox: The Speckled Monster." Twelve Diseases That Changed Our World. Washington, DC: ASM, 2007. 50-67. Print.
Trask, John W. "Smallpox in the United States. (1910): n. pag. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.